Of all the sectors of activity at the Port of Montreal, the cruise industry was hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 season was completely cancelled (as has the 2021 season), in accordance with the health directives issued by Transport Canada.
These impacts may be felt for years to come. Cruise lines were devastated by the effects of the pandemic and began a reorganization process that includes selling a number of cruise ships. For instance, Holland-America announced the sale of the Amsterdam and the Rotterdam, and Royal Caribbean sold the Empress of the Seas: three ships that were slated to call at Montreal in the coming years.
Furthermore, two cruise lines that regularly served the Port of Montreal have gone out of business: Cruise and Maritime Voyages of the United Kingdom, which operated the Marco Polo, among others, and Blount Small Ship Adventures of the United States, which operated the Grande Caribe and the Grande Mariner.
The MPA remains ready, willing and able to adapt to the changing situation and ensure the safe return of cruise passengers when health guidelines permit.